Course Description

LAW 440 - Introduction to Food Law and Policy

UCLA School of Law has established the Resnick Center for Food Law and Policy, which has emerged as a thought leader in this new field. The Resnick Center recognizes the important role of food law and policy in a modern food system that is different than anything the world has ever experienced. This modern food system – from the farm to the fork – has given rise to profound health, social, environmental, and cultural consequences. This Introductory course will show how food law as a response to this modern food system has adapted and developed into a distinctive area of law, involving food safety, food marketing, nutrition, trade, and food system issues (food security, sustainability, and equality). Within each of these distinctive areas, a number of interesting legal and policy tools have emerged, including federal, state, and municipal regulation; litigation; government program incentives; international standards; and so-called soft-law. This course will examine these tools, all while covering issues important to all eaters: from genetically modified and organic food to labels and advertising to obesity and malnutrition to food equity and justice to animal welfare and environmental practices to controversial and new, innovative foods.